Heat Playoff Game Day: Looking to close out the series in Bakersfield (8:00 p.m. MT)

Photo credit:Graphic by Mike Gould

1 year ago

The Stockton Heat have yet to lose three consecutive games this season, but they’ll have to if the Bakersfield Condors want to win their Pacific Division semifinal playoff series.

The Heat lead the best-of-five series two games to none as action shifts to Bakersfield for Game 3 on Friday. Stockton took its 2–0 series lead on Wednesday with a 3–2 victory as @Emilio Pettersen scored his second winning goal in as many games.

Reigning American Hockey League goaltender of the year @Dustin Wolf has continued his excellent play into the post-season, stopping 49 of the 52 shots he’s faced through his first two professional playoff games.

Here’s something unexpected: @Matthew Phillips is still without a point through Stockton’s first two games of the playoffs. The team’s 2021–22 leading scorer has fired just one shot on goal so far in this series. If he comes to play tonight … watch out.

Projected lineups

These combinations are based, in part, on those used in these teams’ previous games.

Stockton Heat

@Jakob Pelletier – @Glenn Gawdin – @Matthew Phillips
@Justin Kirkland – @Luke Philp – @Tyrell Goulborne
@Emilio Pettersen – @Connor Zary – @Eetu Tuulola
@Alex Gallant – @Byron Froese – @Walker Duehr

@Kevin Gravel – @Nick DeSimone
@Juuso Valimaki – @Colton Poolman
@Ilya Solovyov – @Andy Welinski

@Dustin Wolf
@Daniil Chechelev

Bakersfield Condors

@Dylan Holloway – @Brad Malone – @Dino Kambeitz
@Tim Schaller – @Adam Cracknell – @Seth Griffith
@Brendan Perlini – @Luke Esposito – @Cooper Marody
@James Hamblin – @Devin Brosseau – Noah Philp

@Markus Niemelainen – @Michael Kesselring
Yanni Kaldis – @Vincent Desharnais
Alex Peters – @Filip Berglund

@Stuart Skinner
@Ilya Konovalov

Playoff scoring stars

This section excludes players recalled to the NHL or on assignment to other leagues.

Stockton Heat

Emilio Pettersen — 2 GP, 2 G, 3 P
Jakob Pelletier — 2 GP, 1 G, 1 P
Walker Duehr — 2 GP, 1 G, 1 P
Nick DeSimone — 2 GP, 1 G, 1 P
Alex Gallant — 2 GP, 1 G, 1 P

Bakersfield Condors

Brad Malone — 4 GP, 2 G, 3 P
Dino Kambeitz — 4 GP, 1 G, 2 P
James Hamblin — 4 GP, 1 G, 2 P
Cooper Marody — 4 GP, 1 G, 2 P
Yanni Kaldis — 4 GP, 0 G, 2 P

Heating up

Not particularly known for his goal-scoring ability, Heat enforcer Alex Gallant lit the lamp to open the scoring in the second period of Game 2.

Gallant, 29, has made the playoffs on five separate occasions in his American Hockey League career. On Wednesday, he scored his first playoff goal as professional hockey player.

How to watch

Game 3 in Bakersfield will be broadcast on AHL TV (subscription required) and on Spreaker (audio only), with the opening puck-drop set for 8:00 p.m. MT.

FlamesNation contributors Paige Siewert and Mike Gould will provide live game updates on Twitter. Additionally, you’ll be able to follow along at TheAHL.com.

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